Precious Moments
by silverbuggy
Summary: Short, sweet stories revolving around ArcRefia. Most of it will be fluff, but there will be angsty times. If you do not like this pairing, then do not read and leave a nasty comment! You have been warned.
1. Thunderstorm

**t**hunder**s**torm

Summary: When a storm hits, Luneth, Ingus, and Arc are blissfully asleep and unaware of the frightening thunder and lightening. However, Refia is in dire need of company during the storm.

A loud lightening bolt descended from the heavens and crashed onto the earth.

Staying at a small inn near the City of the Ancients, the Warriors of Light had gone to sleep for the night, hoping to be refreshed and ready by the morning. Refia, being the healer in the group, knew that having a good night's rest was the key to strength and energy. So, she decided, no matter what came her way, she would sleep like a baby throughout the night.

Then, the storm hit.

Refia was sitting on her bed, her knees drawn to her chest. She hid underneath the covers, covering her ears and whimpering whenever she saw lightening or heard thunder. Refia was the only one awake—Luneth and Ingus were in the next room, completely asleep.

It was obvious that the two heaviest sleepers would also be the best fighters. Most of the time, Ingus was a Red Mage and Luneth was a knight, meaning that they would have to use their physical strength more than Arc and Refia, the mages who mostly relied on their magic abilities.

As another lightening bolt hit, Refia couldn't help but allow a loud whimper to escape her lips. This was so bad—she was extremely frightened of the storm and she wouldn't be able to get any sleep! In the sudden stillness, Refia heard bed springs. Arc was shifting around in his bed.

'_Better not wake him,'_ she thought. Taking in a deep breath, Refia tried to prepare herself for the next disturbance caused by the storm. Too bad it didn't work.

_**BOOM**_

Refia shrieked, nearly jumping out of her bed. She was already shaking with fear underneath the thin blanket.

"Refia?" Arc's groggy voice called. The said young woman slowly lifted the blanket off her head and peeked at Arc, who began to sit up. As he moved, the rest of Arc's sleeping shirt—which was tan with buttons at the top—was revealed. He looked at the red-haired girl with curiosity. "What's wrong?"

"Eh…n-nothing! No, I had a nightmare, nothing big!" Refia replied lamely. She knew that if Arc found out about Refia's weakness, he would most likely reveal it to Luneth. She knew that he wouldn't do it to make fun of her, but Luneth would use her fear to his advantage.

"Are you sure? You look very disturbed," Arc said, not quite sure if Refia was telling him the truth. Refia, intent on persuading Arc, only laughed lightly and shook her head, mumbling something about going back to sleep and getting some rest while wiggling back into the covers and turning away from Arc. As another lightening bolt struck the sky, Refia held in her shriek and flinched.

"Good night!" she said. Refia waited until she heard Arc's bed springs shift, knowing that Arc had gone back to sleep.

_Okay_, she told herself. _Pull yourself together! You are better than this; you are a Warrior of the Light! And as a Warrior, I shall show bravery in the time of fear!_

This wasn't the case as a large bolt of lightening pierced the purple-black sky. Refia instantly knew that a loud thunder clap was following…

And before it hit, Refia had placed her hands beside her head, shut her eyes so tight she was seeing small specks of light, and curled her body into a small ball.

The thunder hit, and Refia bit her lip as the loud _booming_ sound decrescendo. Refia rolled around to make sure that Arc was still sleeping, but she found herself gasping as she looked up and saw him standing next to her bed.

"Refia, please tell me the truth when I ask you if you are okay. The storm is obviously keeping you up—it's really bothering you, Refia," he said in a concerned tone. Refia sighed and sat up.

"I know, I know…I'm sorry. I feel terrible for not telling you Arc, and I'm sorry if I offended you, but I was afraid that you would tell Luneth. No one but my father knows about my fear of storms, and I wanted to keep it that way," she said. Arc bit the inside of cheek, obviously deep in thought.

"The storm is not going to wear down until morning—what do you want to do? Turning the lights on is too risky and I'm more than sure that the lights have gone out, anyway. Those winds are pretty brutal. Staying up isn't the answer since tomorrow we are leaving and we need to be alert—all of us, that is," Arc said aloud. Refia nodded and a chill ran up her spine as yet another boom was heard outside. The gusting winds shook against the window, and Refia wasn't too sure if the windows were sturdy enough to remain intact.

"Arc…may I sleep…in your bed? Please? I promise I won't cause you any trouble, and we can put up a barrier!" Refia murmured, looking down as she said this. Arc was dumbfounded—he had absolutely no idea what to say!

"W-well…fine. You are miserable, and if company helps you, then you may sleep…on my bed," he said, also looking down to hide a blush. Refia's eyes twinkled as she leaped from her bed to Arc's.

"Thanks, Arc! I owe you!" she happily gushed. Arc merely shook his head and gave a frail smile. Then, he went to his side of the bed.

"Refia, the bed isn't big enough for a barrier. I think we'll just have to along without it," Arc said as he looked at Refia kneeling on the bed.

"Yes, you're right—then let's just sleep back-to-back. I promise I will not kick or punch or hit or slap! I'm a pretty calm sleeper!" Refia assured. Arc hoped so as he slid his body next to Refia's.

_This night will be over, we will wake up, and go about like we normally do. Don't worry, Arc, it's only for a couple hours more,_ Arc thought to himself.

However, the small, warm body would press up against him every now and that broke his train of thought. It was even worse when Refia unconsciously turned to face Arc's back and then pressed her full body against him. Arc prayed to the Heavens that she would turn once more, but nothing happened.

_Oh well,_ he thought, _at least I've learned two things: the first being beware of Refia's fear of thunderstorms and the second being never share a room with Refia when one hits!_

**s**ong listened to while typing

**S**tand by M**e**

By

**t**he brilliant gree**n**


	2. Books

**b**ooks

Summary: Arc is reading a book one day when a bored Refia comes along. When asked why Arc loves his books so much, Refia reveals the reason why Arc loves to read.

It had been one of those rare, calm days when everything seemed unperturbed. People pleasantly greeted each other as they walked through the town and the kids were all playing in harmony.

Arc personally loved those types of days. It was days like that when he would be able to loose himself in one of his thick novels underneath a large oak tree and no one could say anything about it. He would be left alone with the bird chirpings which he called music and he would just relax and enjoy the day.

Refia however, decided that those days were boring. Personally, she thought, nothing was interesting. Things went by so slowly and people just seemed to be floating on a cloud. No one would want to chat with her or keep her company because they always said that the day was too beautiful to waste.

_Hmph_, she thought. _Silly Luneth. Grumpy Ingus. Why is it that no one wants to just talk to me? But no sir, those two are always so odd. Luneth said he needed to help an elderly man tend sheep and Ingus complained that since no one stocks up on supplies enough, he has to do it. So there's no one left!_

Suddenly, Refia stopped in the middle of a thought, her lips spreading into a smile.

_Arc! Of course! He's always too shy and too polite to tell you that he isn't interested in talking!_ Knowing this, Refia took full advantage of his personality and set off to look for the youngest Warrior.

After ten minutes of searching the grassy fields, Refia had spotted the brown-haired young man underneath a large tree that shaded him from the rays of the sun. Deciding to surprise him, Refia quietly made her way through the grassy field. Once she was close enough, Refia smiled and finally spoke up.

"Hello, Arc!"

The said person snapped his head up, obviously startled. "Oh. Hello, Refia," he said back, knowing that no matter how hard he tried, he would not be able to concentrate on his book anymore. Refia was too hard to ignore, especially because her mouth had a mind of its own. If Refia thought anything, she would say it aloud, but she would never say anything to hurt someone's feelings for no reason.

"So, since I was just wandering around town, I decided to check up on my friend, Arc! I see that you're reading a book—which one is it?" Refia asked all in one breath. Arc flipped to the cover—he never thought that the title was a good judging tactic.

"The Artemis Sacrifice. It is actually much better than it sounds because it is the tale of two wizards who grew up together but parted ways when one of them decided to use his magic for evil," Arc replied, actually thinking that he may be able to get back to his reading if he continues to speak about a boring subject (well, what Refia would consider boring).

"Arc…why do you like books so much? I mean—you have friends, and people think you'd be someone they could always talk to, so why spend so much time with your books?" the young red-haired woman questioned.

This was a subject Arc never liked to dwell on. He looked down at the ground, hoping Refia had seen his grimace so that she would take back her question and skip right back to town. However, all Refia did was stare at Arc, waiting for an answer.

"Ever since I was a child, I never had friends. I was painfully shy, and kids would torment me about it, thinking that I was too good to even talk to them. Well, that wasn't the case at all. I never grew up being a popular or talkative person, so I guess you'd say I was much more awkward back then than I am now. Well, one day, I when I was twelve, I helped an old carpenter move some of his tools back to his shed, and since he did not have enough gil to pay me for my services, he offered me a book." Arc looked up at Refia to see that she was paying a lot of attention.

"The book's leather cover was so worn and faded that I never found out the name. However, I had finally found something that kept me occupied and I managed to shun the mean and rude remarks kids threw at me daily. Luneth would constantly help, but since he would always go off exploring, I would stay behind and read. I guess I read too much…sometimes I just forget about the fact that there are people around me." With that, he looked at Refia once more and saw that a smile played on her lips.

"Well, I have great news, Arc! You have nothing to apologize for because you're just being you. You are not ignoring us at all—in fact, you do the opposite! Like just now for example! You put your book aside to talk to me, and I know I can be a burden at times. But now that you have friends you can rely on, you don't have to shun yourself away anymore. We will always be here in case of anything, Arc!" Refia spoke.

At that moment, Arc couldn't help but feel guilt. Yes, he had put aside his book out of courtesy (and Refia knew it, too), but here was Refia, making him feel better. His attempts at driving his friend away now seemed petty and selfish—she just wanted someone to be with!

"How about you read out loud? I know you're halfway through your book, but I pick up pretty fast, and I promise I will not interrupt!" Refia assured. Arc smiled and nodded.

When Arc finally stopped, he had not realized that Refia had made a pillow out of her coat. She had placed her head on the coat and she had dozed off, right next to Arc. Sighing and chuckling a little, Arc shut his book, tucked it back into his sack, and decided to return with Refia to town.

Having decided not to wake Refia in her deep and placid sleep, Arc gingerly placed Refia on his back and carried her and their belongings to town, walking underneath the orange-red sky.

It wasn't long before Refia found him once more during those rare lazy days and sat herself down beside Arc. Taking that as his cue, Arc read aloud and Refia would listen on, even if her head lolled onto Arc's shoulder an hour or two later.

To Arc's amazement, Refia would always remember the happenings of the book, just like she remembered the first day their exclusive ritual began.

**s**ong listened to while typing

**S**akurair**o**

by

**A**ngela Ak**i**


	3. Dance

**d**ance

Summary: When Refia decides to show off her new dress, she wants to go to the nearby sunflower field. As she dances through the yellow flowers, she finds a dancing partner in Arc.

The weather was brilliant. A slight breeze was building up because of the arrival of autumn, which meant Refia needed to enjoy her dresses while she had the chance to. Once winter hit, those dresses would not be able to see day until springtime, meaning they'd stay cooped up for months.

Luneth and Ingus also decided that instead of worrying about anything for the time being, they should take a day off. The last boss they had defeated was actually a little less than a week ago and no one had provided any new information as of yet.

"C'mon!" Refia cried, leading the group as they entered the City of the Ancients. Smiling as they booked two rooms for the night, Refia dashed up to the room, plucking the key from Luneth's hand and sprinting up the wooden stairs.

"Remind me again why she's so excited," Ingus murmured. "Well, Refia says she bought a dress a while back and she hasn't had the chance to wear it yet, so I guess since the weather is beautiful to be skipping around in a flimsy white dress, Refia can't wait to show it off," Luneth replied. Both of them laughed lightly and went to leave their belongings in their rooms. Arc meanwhile, waited until Refia was done so that he would leave his belongings.

Refia finally descended down the stairs in a plain cotton white dress. The thin white straps were held securely against Refia's porcelain-colored shoulder and the long dress seemed perfect for her. Everyone thought that it made Refia look quite younger and innocent.

"I'm going to the sunflower fields!" she announced. "I want to run around, just feel the wind blow against my hair!"

Luneth nodded in agreement. "Make sure to be back by supper. Ingus will choose what we will have for dinner." With that, he said goodbye and made it clear that he was going to explore around the land. Ingus mumbled something about _always_ choosing their supper, while Arc made his way up the stairs.

"All right then…bye!" Refia said, getting a curt wave from a disgruntled Ingus.

When Refia found the beautiful sunflower field, she couldn't help but gape in wonder and amazement. This must have been the largest sunflower field she had ever seen!

As she gently strolled through the beautiful field of the yellow flowers, Refia took in deep breaths, the wonderful smell of the pure air filling her lungs. As soon as she did that, Refia felt a wave of nostalgia. She sat down on a small patch of grass and looked up at the blue sky.

Refia began to remember all the times her father would take her out to the sunflower fields south of her town. She would frolic and laugh the day away with her adopted father, dancing underneath the clouds.

Just like that, Refia stood up. Dancing was always a ritual when one visited a sunflower field—at least that was her rule. So slipping out of the sandals she wore, Refia carefully spread out her arms and twirled this way and that, laughing whenever she stumbled. Refia decided to pick up her sandals and so she went deeper and deeper into the flower field, laughing and enjoying herself while barely noticing that the once bright blue sky was now a pink shade.

She had to admit, that it would've been better if there was a companion. She had always danced and danced with someone, and it wasn't as much fun by herself.

"Refia! Refia, where are you?"

That was clearly Arc's voice. Refia stopped dancing for a bit to see where the freckled boy was.

"Arc, I'm over here! Follow my voice!" Refia called back. In two seconds flat Arc appeared, somewhat disheveled as he tried to flatten down his wavy hair.

"Arc, will you dance with me?" Refia asked suddenly, eagerly clasping his hand in hers. "R-Refia, we should really get back now—Ingus has finished the soup and I think it'd be better if we didn't test his patience," Arc tried to reason. Refia seemed to have heard but she didn't really show it because in a second flat, she had interlaced all ten fingers with Arc's ten fingers.

They started on a slow tempo, Arc refusing to let himself get too eager over dancing. However, Refia's smile and excitement was very contagious and in no time at all, he was also spinning around the field with Refia.

They began spinning faster, the tall sunflowers becoming nothing but yellow and green blurs as they spun. Arc began to leap and jump as Refia followed pursuit. He sometimes took Refia, held her close, and then spun her away. Refia would laugh manically, not believing that Arc had such a free-spirited personality at times. He was laughing, smiling, dancing—and Refia was here to see it all!

The pair stumbled in tiredness and landed on the dirt, Arc not caring if his clothes were in bigger disarray than before and Refia not caring that there was dirt smudges on her new cotton white dress.

Taking in deep breaths of air, Arc and Refia said nothing as they listened to the other's breathing. Both lost in the endless navy sky, the two Warriors of Light didn't even realize when Luneth's annoyed voice rang out:

"Refia, Arc!! Where are you two?! My stomach is in great pain because of you two!"

Still laughing in breathless puffs, Arc and Refia stood slowly and made their way, Refia slipping into her sandals once more and Arc dusted himself off.

No one ever forgot the smiles on Refia and Arc's faces—or the dirt that was on their faces, either.

**s**ong listened to while typin**g**:

**L**ook U**p**

by

**S**tar**s**


End file.
